Outback Way to get more bitumen

The Australian Government is committing $100m for sealing and widening the Outback Way which crosses Australia between east and west.

Three of the 13 projects worth more than $41m are in the Northern Territory.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester says two projects worth $25.7m for a two-lane seal, drainage improvements and floodway upgrades along 36 kilometres of the Plenty Highway, and one project worth $15.9m for a two-lane seal along 24 kilometres of Tjukaruru Road.

Nicknamed The Shortcut the road is 2700km long and by 2020, 1500km will be sealed.

WA will seal 80km with $46.5m. NT will seal 60km with $52m. Queensland will seal and widen 69km with $26.4m.

4 Comments (starting with the most recent)

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Local1

Posted November 9, 2017 at 5:32 pm

Unfortunately Paul no it is not. Travelling to WA requires two permits, one for the small NT part, and then again for the WA stretch.
One good thing about the NT permit is it saves you the exorbitant fee for driving past the Rock.
Information on another website says people heading through the Rock National Park will be given explicit instructions that they are not to stop anywhere in the park.
We were not given any explicit instructions, and as a result did have a brief stop at the Olgas parking bay to let my tyre pressures down for the dirt road ahead.
Naturally while I was there I checked out the Olgas from the viewing platform, and was impressed by the view.
The outback way site says: “Permits are a useful way of tracking numbers of people tavelling the Outback Way – which builds the case for further road funding.”
This argument seems to fall a bit flat when you consider the QLD side requires no permits, so how do they track numbers? It seems they still get funding.
The Tjukaruru Road is more commonly known as the area around Docker River, which currently is absolutely horrendous.
We did this trip in June and absolutely loved it. Was it because it was dirt, a bit wet and a bit slippery that made it so much fun to drive?
Especially with the feeling of isolation you get. Will it be as much fun if it is bitumen all the way? Maybe not.
The ability for tourists to cross the country on a driving adventure, using our great town as a central hub, has enormous potential for us, not to mention the benefits for mining and general transport options.
It is an amazing drive, but I for one stand completely opposed to a permit system.
We are on a main highway, that should be open for all Australians to use, unless you intend to go into remote communities.
We look forward to doing the rellie run to Brisbane at Christmas in 2018, and will be taking the outback way east for that, saving about 800km.
Really looking forward to that, however how will it affect Tennant Creek, Camoweal and other places on the current route?
@ Patsy: There was a large article somewhere a couple of years ago about the price discrepancy on the cost of road building, should be able to find your answer using google, maybe it is in the Alice Springs News Online archive. Erwin?
[ED – Yes, it is … here.]